Top Essays USB Drive

This USB drive contains 100 of the top This I Believe audio broadcasts of the last ten years, plus some favorites from Edward R. Murrow's radio series of the 1950s. It's perfect for personal or classroom use! Click here to learn more.

I have grown up believing that people should treat people how they want to be treated in return. With this philosophy, I have grown up respecting people in hopes that I would receive the same attention in return. Every person appreciates a smile or a small token of thanks or even little reminders just saying that I care. Many people go through life without feeling loved, so I try my best to make each and every person feel important. Every person longs to have someone to talk to in his/her time of need. I know when I am feeling down or upset over a situation I go to my best friend and spill my beans. Even though some people do not feel the need to go out of their way to make a person’s day, every person will sometime in life wish for some recognition, so I have strongly come to believe in good will towards others.

In a personal experience, I met a homeless man in my home town of Jackson, MS. Daddy always told me not to stop and talk to strangers or to give money to the homeless because girls can be taken advantage of in certain situations, but when I saw this guy, all of those fears went away. The man had a sign that said, “May God Bless You.” I started to think, “Wow, a man who has nothing still wishes good will towards others.” With that thought, I started to feel selfish about all my blessings that I took for granted. I saw this man after I had already passed him and quickly turned around to give him a little money to let him know that I appreciated him and to tell him that he was a better person than me. I found him on the side of the road still holding that sign and not asking for any money. I beckoned him to my car and gave him all the money I had on me which was only eleven dollars in cash. He did not want my money, but only wanted to tell me about the word of God. He quoted scriptures from the Bible and told me about his experience of Katrina where he lost his home and family. As unfortunate as his life had been, he still wanted to spread the word of God because he was thankful for the simple fact that he was alive. As our conversation ended, I had persuaded him to take my money, and when he accepted he returned his precious saying, “May God bless you.”

To this day, I will never forget that experience and it was from that experience that proved my belief of good will towards others. A small conversation was appreciated by not only that homeless guy but by me. A few dollars helped him to survive another day which gave him more time to spread God’s word and to wish good will towards others. As each day passes, I wake up and thank that Lord for my blessings and hope that that day I might be able to be a part of someone’s life who needs help. I know that later on in life he/she will see me as having the heart of an angel just like I saw that quality in that special homeless man.

Essay of the Week

On August 28, 1963, Benita Porter went with her mother to attend the March on Washington. It was during Dr. King’s spellbinding message of hope, love, and the universality of mankind that Ms. Porter was inspired by the belief that words—her own words—could arouse passion, change minds, and bring about social change. Click here to read her essay.

What Students Believe

Throughout the school year, young people around the world write statements of belief as a classroom exercise. And thousands of those students have submitted their essays to our series. Click here to read a sampling of what young people believe.